Interlocking slidable sections.



H. GASSTROIVI.

INTERLOCKING SLIDABLE SECTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.3|,1916.

i Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

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H. GASSTROM. l INTERLOCKING SLIDABLE SECTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3l* 1916.

Patented D00. 24, 1913.

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HERMAN GASSTROLVI, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO DAI-IL MANUFACTURING CO., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INTERLOCKING SLIDABLE SECTIONS.

Application led January 31, 1916.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN GAss'rnoM, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing 1n the county, city, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Slidable Sections, of Whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in rules made up of a. plurality of slidable interlocking sections. My invention pertains more particularly to a specially(v formed locking mechanism by which means the sections of the rule are locked in closed andv in extended positions.

In the drawings which form part of this specification Figure 1 is a top plan View of a sect1onal rule, one end of one section being broken off Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; C

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view, the section beingl taken on a line 3-3 1n Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan detail view of my improved support for the locking tongue for the rule sections;

Fig. v5 is a sectional View thereof, the section being taken on a line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of one of the locking tongues;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional View thereof, the section being taken on a line Y7-7 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of one end of one of the rule sections, showing the tip therefor;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view thereof, the section being 'taken on a line 9 9 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of some of the rule sections in closed position;

Fig. 11 is a similar view illustrating the manner of extending the rule sections.

The rule herein illustrated consists of a plurality of sections, A, B, C and D, which are slida-bly connected by plates 1 and 2, each of the plates 1 being provided with guides in the form of lbent over flanges 3, Fig. 3, which engage slots 4 inthe sections of the rule, and also with flanges 5 which are forced into contact with the sections to hold the plates in place. For instance, the section B, at one end thereof, carries a plate 1. see Fig. 3. the flanges 5 of which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Serial No. 75,257.

grip said section, while the flanges 3 engage the slots 4 in the section A. Thesection A carries a plate 2al (see Figs. 1 and 10 at the left end thereof), the flange 11 of which grips the said section while the flange 12 engages the slot 4 in the section B. By these means all of the sections A, B, C and D are slidably connected. Each plate 2 on the sections B, C and D carries ears 6 which pivotally support a tongue 7, each tongue operating within a pocket 8 in said sections. All of the sections, excepting section A are locked together by tongues 9 carried by the plates 1, each tongue 9 operating in a pocket 10 in said sections. The section A is a master section by which means the opening or closing of the sections is controlled. The section A at the right end there-of carries a plate 2a having the flanges 11 referred to, which secure the plate to the said section, said plate 2a having no interlocking function, but being merely to guide the section A (see Fig. 1). When slid along the section B, the flange 12 also referred to of the plate 2a engages the slot 4 in the section B.

Each tongue 7 carries a nose 14, which is adapted to pass through an opening 15 in a guard plate 16 carried by each section, and when the sections are extended, these ends 14 will project through the said openings, as shown in Fig. 11, in which figure the section A is extended sufficiently to unlock the sections B and C.

When the rule is fully extended, each nose or end 14 will project through its opening 15. Hence, when the rule is to be closed the tongues 7 will be automatically unlocked by the movement of the sections one upon the other.

As shown in Fig. 10, the sections of the rule are locked in closed position, that is to say, the rule cannot be extended Without the use of force, because the nose piece 14 of each tongue 9 will prevent the sections from the openings 18, While the sections are being extended, as will hereinafter be described..

To extend the rule, the section A Will be moved toward the left (see Fig. 11) until the tail-piece 21 of the tongue 7, carried thereby, is forced through an opening 22 in the underlying plate 1 by the spring member 23, which is an extension of the nose-piece 14, the said spring member pressing against the plate 2. `When the tail-piece 21 alines with the opening 22, it Will be forced therethrough by the spring member 23, nally striking the elevated end 24 of the tongue 9, carried by the section B, and raising the nose end 16 thereof partly out of the opening 18, or at least enough to permit the'inclined front vvall 25 of the opening 18 to further raise the end 16 of the tongue When the sect-ion B is moved along the section C. When the section B is moved tovvard the left, after the section A has been moved to partly unlock the tongue 9, as has been described, the end 16 of the tongue 9 Will ride up the inclined Wall 25 very easily Without necessitating a strong pull upon the section.

rlhis form of Wall is preferable to a straight or vabrupt Wall, as the latter causes an impediment to the easily sliding motion of the rule members When they are opened.

After the section B has been extended, the section C Will become unlocked in the manner-described and may be extended. Each rule section unlocks the next underlying section, and each rule section, excepting the top section, Which is the master section, or the section Which controls the opening or closing of the rule sections, carries a locking tongue and a tongue to operate the locking tongue of an underlying section.

The foregoing statement is merely an outline of the operation of the rule, as the 0peration and construction thereof is fully set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 1,159,012 issued to me, and bearing the date of November 2nd, 1915.

vThe object of this improvement, Which has been referred to in connection With the rule, is to provide means to facilitate the operation of the locking tongues after they have been partly released, the said means being in this instance the inclined Wall 25.

The inclined Walls 25 vvill force the ends 16 of the tongues 9 inwardly against the tension of the spring members 26, Which are extensions of the ends 16. Each plate 1 carries ears 27 which pivotally support the locking tongues 9. Y

The Whole function of the Walls 25 is to still further raise the ends 16 or locking ends of the tongues 9 after they have been for the most part, unlocked by the tongues 7,

to permit the rule sections to be easily moved one upon the other.

To insure a perfect lock, it is necessary that the spring member 26 be comparatively stiff, consequently the members 23 of the tongues 7 will not have enough spring tension to completely unlock the said tongues 9, and for the perfect operation of the rule, the ends 16 of the tongues must be raised to aline With the outer face of the plates l, Which result is accomplished by the Walls 25.

A further feature of the device is the formation of the tongues 7 and 9 to provide rounded trunnions 28 (see Fig. 6). To produce the rounded trunnions, l emboss the said tongues, or force part of themetal thereof upwardly as at 29 and 30, Figs. 4, 6 and 7, the extensions or trunnions formed by the striking up process being rounded and thereby fitting the round openings in the ears 27.

A further feature of improvement consists of a tip for the section A, Which is designedV to be applied to one end ofthe section in such manner as to prevent the splitting of the Wood. This tip consists of thin metal plate 31 bent over to form a top and bottom member 32 and 33, each 0f said members being provided with an inwardly directed iiange 34, arranged to ta previously formed groove 35. By means of this formation l am able to apply the tip Withoutresorting to any means to puncture the Wood or to be forced into the Wood, as the end of the section is previously prepared to receive the tip.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. In a device comprising a plurality'of slidably connected members arranged for extension, means carried by one section other than the irst section to interlock With an underlying section, When said sections are folded, means carried by said one section to partly unlock said interlocking device, While said members are being extended and auxiliary means carried by the underlying section to completeY the unlocking` of the interlock" ing device.

2. In a device comprising a plurality of slidably connected superposed members arranged for extension, means carried by each section except the first to lock said sections together When said sections are closed, means carried by each section except the last to partly unlock the locking device for an underlying section, and an angularly disposed Wall adjacent each locking device to complete the unlocking operation While the members are being extended.

3. In a device of the character described, a plurality of superposed slidable members arranged for extension, locking means carried by each member excepting the first to engage an underlying member and lock said members together when said members are closed, means carried by the rst member to initiate the unlocking yoperation when said first member is moved in the proper direction, and means carried by the underlying sections to complete the unlocking operation.

4. In a device of the character described,

5 a plurality 0f slidable members arranged for extension, a plate carried by each section excepting' the last slidably engaging and underlying section having an opening therein, a locking device carried by each plate except l0 the last to engage the opening in the plate l5 out of the opening When the slidable members are moved in the proper direction.

5. A rule member provided near .the end thereof with transversely disposed curved grooves, there being a groove in each face of the member, a tip for said rule consisting of a plate bent over t0 form top and bottom members for the end of said rule member, and a. curved flange at the end of the bent over portions of said plate to engage the transversely disposed grooves in the rule member, whereby said tip is prevented from movement transversely of the rule member7 and also movement longitudinally thereof.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this twenty-eighth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and sixteen.

HERMAN GASSTROM. Witnesses:

ROBERT RICHTER, FRED F. WEISS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissoner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

